Here's the truth. There are things that liberals get right and conservatives get wrong. And there are things that conservatives get right that liberals get wrong. The problem is when immature people don't realize that everyone who disagrees with them does not necessarily have a moral problem. This immaturity reflects a problem with love. Love is ever ready to believe the best of someone, to give the benefit of the doubt (I Cor. 13). Everyone who votes democratic doesn't hate the unborn. And everyone who votes republican doesn't hate low income children. Yet in the political season, even among Facebook friends, few care about giving the benefit of the doubt.
I'll tell you right now how you should vote. As your conscience leads you after prayer and meditation on Scripture.
Don't let anyone talk you out of that! It's your right as an American, and it's God's instruction for believers who are IN Christ. You have freedom to follow your own conscience as the Spirit convicts you. And as an American, hold strongly and boldly to your right to vote your conscience without impunity from friends, family, or any organization with which you are associated. That's the most basic freedom granted by our constitution!
Then, once you vote, you can rest! Because God sets up authorities, not us. I'll end with His clear, beautiful instructions in Romans 13 that settle my mind and keep me from anxiety during such seasons.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
15 comments:
Oh my - I so agree. Last night I made a post on Facebook that cried out that I found the news feed both amusing and pathetic. Predictable and obnoxious. Both side ranting and increasing my nauseousness.Well written. Sharing on my Facebook page!
Thank you. EGGGGS- actly.
Exactly and amen!
Everything belongs to God and we are all under God including the state. God help us if we as a nation disregard God and His word. I'm praying for revival before it is too late. I pray every Christian will be about spreading the Gospel and making disciples. Sure we should vote but in the end we should be more interested in souls than in goals.
I totally agree with this.
I'd be interested in your thoughts on if we are obligated to vote. I really struggle with voting for someone who stands for a lot of things I disagree with.
We have the right to vote according to our conscience in this nation. If our conscience doesn't give us peace about voting, then no, I don't see anything in Scripture that makes me think we are obligated to do so.
Here is a blog from John Piper called vote as though you are not voting:
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/let-christians-vote-as-though-they-were-not-voting
Our choice is between two misguided men. One is an anti-capitalist and the other may have taken a vow in the Mormon temple to avenge the death of Joseph Smith. Listened to the Bible answer man the other day and a descendant of Joseph Smith, who became a Christian, says she votes for Mormons all the time. If we don't vote we cannot complain about the government!
Thank you so much for this wonderful post. I was just thinking last night about how important it is at this time of year to remember that there are people on both sides of the political spectrum who love Jesus with all their hearts and just want to honor them with their votes... we come down on such different sides when it comes to how best to do that, but it's so important to remember that there are people on both sides truly motivated by conviction and love. (We don't always show that love in our Facebook statuses, unfortunately...)
Here here!
The 100% fact of The Bible
IS
"Without Serpent/Satan The Bible would end on Page 2 with something as this...
"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed and they lived happily ever after
THE END."
Thank you for the exhortation to pray and seek Scripture and posting some Scripture to contemplate...I usually put my head in the sand...this gives me some confidence in that voting is my privelege and trusting God is my peace...
Never mind ads, trolls, and fanatics-- we have two excellent if imperfect candidates for President. There is evidence from their past actions that each would try to pursue policies if elected that should have some appeal to a prayerful voter who usually leans the other way, but who weighs the consequences of each vote every time. After looking at the actual consequences of implementing their policies at this time, the challenger's policies seem likely to have bad enough results in the near term to sway my vote to the incumbent. But the difference is not in their souls or in the scriptures; it's in what facts and prayer show that the nation and the world need from this unique election which will happen in these circumstances only once. We will be blessed by either outcome.
Wendy,
I have a lot of respect of what you have to say in blogs and conferences and your books. However, I am confused to what you said above - "Everyone who votes democratic doesn't hate the unborn. And everyone who votes republican doesn't hate low income children." How can that be? Nothing is above the sanctity of life. Well maybe not hate but they definitely think more about what they can get out either candidate for themselves more than human lives! For us to vote as a democrat practically allows more babies to be killed. Our current president is the most pro abortion president in US! His policies on this issue explains itself since he took office. This is a really sad post. I agree all things have to be bathe in prayer but some things are without said black or white as it is written in the bible. Prayers supposed to change hearts not for people to give excuses to vote contrary to what is the most important thing to God.
Actually, your statement "For us to vote as a democrat practically allows more babies to be killed" is not true. Here's an interesting article that might make you reconsider that statement.
To me life begins when fertilization occurs. I work in the medical field and I know IUD is a form of abortive contraception. It poses a risk to preborn life. I don't see how this is actually addressing abortion because the people who are getting the free contraception and giving them away are doing the same thing.
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